Vaporizer unit



Patented Mar. 7, 1950 VAPORIZER UNIT William C. Buttner, Winnetka, lll., assigner to The Bastian-Blessing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation o! Illinois Application May 1, 1939, Serial No. 271,090

This invention relates to a vaporizing means or more particularly to a revaporizing means. It has for one object to provide an apparatus and a method combined with or applicable to a supply such as a tank from which vaporized material is supplied and by means of which any portion of the vaporized material which recondenses will be revaporized. Another object is therefore to provide in connection with a tank system for supplying liquefied hydrocarbons means for assuring that no unliqueiied portions of the material shall reach the point of use. Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

Experience has shown that under some conditions where for example a buried or installed tank is used to supply combustible vapor to a point of use some of the vapor may become condensed in passing to the point of use. It is highly undesirable that unvaporized material should reach the point of use and it is important to provide positive means to revaporize any such material. The present invention is illustrated in connection with a buried tank but is not limited to that use. The buried tank is used to store liqueed hydrocarbon and to supply vaporized hydrocarbon to a point of use such as a house within which means for burning or otherwise using the gas are provided. At a convenient point which may be outside of the house or in the house an auxiliary system or apparatus is provided for revaporizing condensed portions of the gas. This system may be described as a, thermo-syphon circulating system. The system includes a tank of liquid buried in the ground or else located in the basement of the house and the details of this mechanism are shown in the accompanying drawing which comprises a schematic diagram with parts in section and parts in elevation showing the tank, the pipe system and the revaporizing system.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the system.

Figure 2 is a transverse, vertical section on an enlarged scale taken at line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical section of a modied form of the invention, in which a part of the "thermo-syphon circulating system is within a house or other relatively warmer enclosure.

The like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout.

As shown, I is a tank provided with lling means in an underground housing 2, details of which are omitted as they form no essential l 24 Claims. (Cl. 62-1) part of the present invention. A pipe 3., which is in communication with a pressure reducer 25, runs from the tank to a revaporized jacket or as-l sembly 4 within which is a pipe 5 connected by a connection B to the pipe 3. The pipe 5 is pref erably provided with a low point or sump l, all within the housing 4. A second connection 8 joins the pipe 5 to a conduit or pipe 9 which lcs 'is through a wall I0 into a basement II and thence preferably upwardly as at I2 into the house and to a point of use which latter is not shown.

The revaporizing or thermo-syphon circulating system includes a buried tank I3 buried preferably lower than the tank I or preferably located at some point where it tends to be warmer than the tank I, although this is not essential. in either case. A pipe I4 leads upwardly from the tank I3 into the housing 4 and a return pipe I5 leads downwardly from the housing 4 and is connected to the tank I3 adjacent its bottom as at I6. An expansion chamber Il may be positioned in cornmunication with an upward extension I8 of the pipe I4. A ller connection I 9 is also provided by means of which the thermo-syphon circulating system may be lled.

An alternative arrangement is shown in Figure 3 in which tank I3 is omitted and a pipe loop 20 is formed which as shown has an upper branch X joined to the pipe It and a lower branch Y joined to the pipe I5 and a connecting member Z joined to the branches X and Y. This connection Z lies within a tank 2i located on a suitable support 22 within the basement and therefore may be relatively warmer than the tank I which is outside. The connecting member Z although it passes through the tank 2l is closed with respect to that tank and hence the material which it contains is not in communication with the material in the tank which may be hot water or some other suitable heating material. A cock or faucet 23 may be provided for the tank 2i to empty it as desired. Heating means 24 may also be provided to heat the contents of the tank 2i when that is necessary.

Although I have shown an operative form of my invention it is obvious that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I wish therefore that my showing made herewith be taken as in a sense diagrammatical.

The use and operation lof my invention are as follows. The liquid in the revaporizer may be kerosene or some other suitable liquid. If the hydrocarbon passing through the housing 4 has become condensed it will flow into the trap or low portion 1 and being heated or warmed will be vaporized at this point. It thus imparts a cooling effect to the relatively warm liquid about itin the housing 4 and the latter becoming heavy by giving up its heat tends to fall through the pipe i5 under the influence of gravity and its own greater density and thus it returns to the bottom of the tank I3. As this occurs the warmer liquid from the bottom of the tank I3 rises in the pipe M into the top of the trap or vaporizer housing 4 and thus a continuously circulating system is set up whereby without the necessity of moving parts revaporization of any condensed hydrocarbon 4 is done the hotter liquid rises to the housing t and coming in contact with the trap 'i through which condensed hydrocarbon is passing it revaporizes that hydrocarbon and giving up its heat falls in the manner described above. Thus the circulation takes place and the revaporizing medium rises and falls as it is needed and accomplishes with certainty the revaporization.

As shown, certain structural parts -have been omitted or shown only in part or diagrammatically because they form no essential part of the present invention which can be readily understood without them. Ordinarily, the connection tween the pipe 3 and the tank l will include additional elements such as a pressure regulator, such as indicated at 25, a safety valve, shutoff valves of one sort or another such as a hand shut-off valve 26 shown in the conduit t, and possibly gauge parts also. The filler connection, also, instead of being merely a straight p ipe, may include controls and other details not shown. The invention may be applied to almost any sort of tank and to almostany sort of filling and service and gauging and pressure controlling means.

The filler i9 for the thermo-syphon system may, also, be varied. Ordinarily, a pit or some means is provided for ready access to it. These and the other parts above mentioned have been omitted since the invention is not limited to such details.

The revaporizer need not be positioned in the exact location shown. It might be at any point in the line between the tank and the point of use. Whether or not there is a low point in the line is unimportant. If there were, it might, for some purposes, be advantageous to locate the revaporizing zone of the apparatus at the low point, but, as above noted, it is not essential that there be any low point nor is it essential that the revaporizing zone be located in any particular part of the system so long as it is located ahead of the point of use of the gas.

Ordinarily, the liquid hydrocarbon or whatever material is stored in the tank l tends to leave the tank as a vapor. There may, however, be some condensation of the vapor after it leaves the tank or some liquid may be carried along with the vapor, or, in an extreme case, much condensation may occur and liquid may now along the conduit 3. Whichever of these conditions occurs, an object of the invention is to prevent liquid from reaching the point of use and, therefore, the apparatus shown and the method carried out comprise a vaporizing or a revaporizing operation and means for accomplishing it. If vaporization has originally occurred and condensation has occurred thereafter, the operation would be called revaporization. If, however, liquid has come over into the conduit 3 without vaporization, then the operation which occurs might more properly be called vaporization rather than revaporization. In a sense, however, the two terms are used interchangeably herein and relate to the vaporizing operation which occurs if any liquid reaches the vaporization apparatus.

I claim:

1. In combination in a liqueiied gas system, means for storing liquefied gas, said means comprising a tank, and means for conveying vaporized gas to a point of use, said means comprising a conduit leading from the tank to a point of use, and means for vaporizing condensed portions of gas in the conduit, said vaporizing means comprising a second tank positioned at a point of leading from the tank to a point of use, and

means for vaporizing condensed portions of gas in the conduit, said vaporizing means comprising a second tank positioned at a point of normally higher temperature than the rst mentioned tank, a jacket surrounding a portion of said rst mentioned conduit, a pipe leading from a relatively high point in said second tank to said jacket, a second pipe leading from said jacket to a lower point in said second tank, a ller connection for said jacket and an expansion chamber in communication with said iirst mentioned pipe.

3. As a means for revaporizing material in a pipe, a jacket surrounding a portion of said pipe, a closed cir'cuit system comprising a pipe leading to said jacket and a second pipe leading from said jacket, the two pipes being joined to a mem'- ber defining a duid storage space, one of said pipes being connected to an upper portion of said storage space means and the other being connected to a lower portion, and a filler connection therefor.

4. As a means for revaporizing material in a pipe, a jacket surrounding a portion of said pipe, a closed circuit system comprising a pipe leading to said jacket and a second pipe leading from said jacket, the two pipes being joined to a member defining a fluid storage space, one of said pipes being connected to an upper portion of said storage space means and the other being connected to a lower portion, and an expansion chamber in said storage system, and a ller connection therefor.

5. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described having a storage tank buried underground in heat exchange relation with the surrounding earth and adapted to be filled from above the ground, a delivery conduit communicating with the tank and conveying fluid fuel to a place where the fuel is consumed, a low portion in said conduit to which condensed fuel gravitates, means for conveying heat from an area of earth greater than the area of said portion of the conduit comprising a body of liquid surrounding said portion of the conduit without mixture with the fluid in the conduit. and a container buried ln the earth and condning said liquid to convective circulation between the walls of the container where heat absorption takes place and the conduit where heat dissipation takes place.

6. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described having a storage tank buried underground in heat exchange relation with the surrounding earth and adapted to be lled from above the ground, a delivery pipe communicating with the tank. and conveying fluid fuel to a place where the fuel is consumed. a low portion in said pipe to which condensed fuel gravitates, means for conveying heat from an area of earth greater than the area of said portion of the pipe comprising a body of fluid surrounding said portion of the pipe without mixture with the fluid in the pipe, and a container buried in the earth and conning said iiuid to convective circulation between the walls of the container where heat absorption takes place and the pipe where heat dissipation takes place.

7. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described, a conduit conveying fluid fuel to a place Where the fuel is consumed, a source of heat including the earth, a low portion in said conduit to which condensed fluid gravltates, a sealed system defining a fluid circuit including a compartment having a portion surrounding the conduit at said low portion and a portion in contact with said source of heat, means for conveying heat from said latter portion of the compartment to said low portion of the conduit including a liquid convectively circulating between said compartment portions Without mingling with said fluid, and means permitting the expansion and contraction of said liquid.

8. In a liqueed gas dispensing system of the class described, a conduit conveying fuel to a place where the fuel is consumed, a source of heat, a liquid medium exposed to said source of heat, a container in which the liquid is confined to circulate convectively, and a second liquid medium in thermal contact but not mixing with the rst liquid, a container in contact with the earth in which the second liquid is confined to circulate convectively, a portion of said conduit to which condensed fuel gravitates being disposed in thermal contact with the second liquid medium.

9. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described, a conduit conveying fuel to a place where the fuel is consumed, a source of heat, a liquid medium exposed to said source of heat, a container in which the liquid is confined to circulate convectively, and a second liquid medium in thermal contact but not mixing with the first liquid, a container in which the second liquid is conned to circulate convectively, a portion of said conduit to which condensed fuel gravitates being disposed in thermal contact with the second liquid medium without the condensed fuel therein mingling with the liquid medium.

l0. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described, a conduit conveying fluid fuel to a place where the fuel is consumed, a plurality of sources oi heat including the earth, a liquid medium exposed to one of said sources of heat through the walls of a container in which the liquid is conned to circulate convectively, and a second liquid medium in thermal contact but not mixing with the rst liquid, exposed to the heat of the earth through the walls of a container in contact with the earth, a portion of said conduit to which condensed fluid gravitates being disposed in thermal contact with the second liquid medium without the fuel therein mingling with the liquid medium.

11. The method of progressively vaporlzing a liquid fuel stored underground in a storage tank under pressure comprising progressively withdrawing a quantity of fuel from the tank, moving the withdrawn fuel as a stream to a place of consumption along a path inclined over a portion thereof, conducting the fuel through a heat conducting member at a low point in the path outside of the tank, surrounding the heat conducting member with a heat conveying iiuid substance, and confining said fluid substance as an isolated constant body in contact with a second heat conducting member exposed to a source of heat whereby said substance circulates convectlvely between the two conducting members.

12. In a liqueed gas dispensing system of the class described comprising a conduit conveying fluid fuel to a place where the fuel is consumed, a source of heat, and means for conveying heat from said source to the conduit comprising two independent bodies of liquid supported in heat transfer relationship with each other, one of said bodies being in heat transfer relationship with said source and conveying heat mainly by convection and the other of said bodies being in heat transfer relationship with and sealed from said conduit and conveying heat mainly by convection.

13. In a liquefied petroleum gas dispensing system having a storage tank buried underground, a conduit conveying fluid fuel from the tank to a place where the fuel is used, a buried heat exchange device associated with said conduit including an anti-freeze liquid in heat exchange contact with the conduit over a portion of the length thereof, means for reducing the pressure in the conduit upon one side of the device and means for warming said liquid including a controlled source of heat.

14. In a liquefied gas system, the combination of a tank for storing liquefied gas, means for conveying gas to a point of use comprising a conduit leading from the tank to a point of use, means for vaporizing liquid portions of gas in the conduit, a pressure reducer in the lconduit between the vaporizing means and the tank, said vaporizing means comprising a container positioned at a point of normally higher temperature than the first mentioned tank, a jacket surrounding the conduit, a pipe leading from a relatively hgh point in the container to the jacket, a second pipe leading from said jacket to a lower point in the container, and means for filling said vaporizing means with a fluid.

15. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described having a storage tank buried underground in heat exchange relation with the surrounding earth and adapted to be filled from above the ground, a delivery conduit communicating with the tank and conveying fluid fuel to a place where the fuel is consumed, a low portion in said conduit to which condensed fuel gravitates, a pressure reducer in said delivery conduit between the tank and lower portion, means for conveying heat from an area of earth greater than the area of said portion of the conduit, a body of liquid surrounding said portion oi the conduit without mixture with the i'luid in the conduit, and a container buried in the earth and confining said liquid to convective circulation between the walls of the container where heat abl sorption takes place and the conduit where heat dissipation takes place.

16. A liquefied hydrocarbon fuel dispensing system including a fuel delivery conduit means adapted to be connected to a tank storing liquefied hydrocarbon fuel therein under pressure and to convey fuel from the tank to a place where it is consumed; said conduit means having a low portion therein to which liquid fuel present in the conduit means gravitates, a pressure reducing regulator disposed underground in the conduit means between the tank and said low portion; and means for conveying heat from an area of earth greater than the area of said low portion including a body of liquid surrounding said low portion without mixture with the contents of the conduit means, and a receptacle with the walls thereof buried in heat exchange relation with the earth and confining said liquid to circulate convectively between the walls of the container where heat is absorbed to said low portion where heat is delivered to the fuel.

17. The method of dispensing liquefied hydrocarbon fuel stored as a body in a pressure container under its vapor pressure including utilizing the vapor pressure in transferring fuel from saidbody toward a point of use along a predetermined path having a low portion therein at a point spaced from the container and submerged in heat exchange relation with a closed body of liquid without mixture therewith, lowering the pressure of the fuel entering said low portion, confining said body of liquid to circulate convectively underground in heat exchange relationship with the earth by which heat absorbed from the earth is transferred to the fuel.

18. In an underground liquefied gas system, a buried container for liquefied gas, an underground conduit for gas leading therefrom to a point of use, an underground vaporizer positioned adjacent said conduit at a point spaced from said gas container, and an underground Vaporizing system including means defining a fiuid circuit and containing a warming uid warmed by the heat of the earth, said means including two uid connections, each joined to complete a circuit with said Vaporizer.

19. In a liquefied gas system, a container for liquefied gas, a conduit for gas leading therefrom to a point of use, and a vaporizer system associated with the conduit including a vaporizer positioned adjacent said conduit, and means delining a closed fluid circuit containing a warming fluid flowing in heat exchange contact with the wall of said conduit, said means including two fluid connections, each joined to said vaporizer and a filter connection for said system, and means defining an expansion space for said system.

20. The method of dispensing and vaporizing liquefied gas from a quantity of gas held under pressure in a storage member comprising progressively withdrawing a quantity of fiuid from the storage member, conducting said withdrawn fluid to a point of use along a predetermined path, storing a predetermined amount of iiuid as a closed constant body in heat exchange relationship with the withdrawn fluid along a portion of said path but without mixture of the fluids and in heat exchange relationship with the earth at a depth in the earth below said portion of the path, and convectively circulating said stored iiuid to convey heat absorbed thereby from the earth at said depth to Warm said withdrawn fluid along said portion of the path.

21. In a liqueed gas dispensing system of the 8 class described having a tank, a conduit means conveying fuel from the tank to a place where fuel is consumed, a source of heat, a liquid mediuinexposed to said source of heat including a substantially constant body of liquid circulating in a. closed system, and a second liquid medium in heat exchange relationship with the first liquid without mingling therewith, means for confining the second liquid to circulate convectively, a portion of said conduit means to which condensed fuel in its liquid phase gravitates being disposed in heat exchange relationship with the second liquid medium without mingling therewith, and a pressure regulator disposed in said conduit between said portion of the conduit and the tank.

22. In a liquefied gas dispensing system of the class described comprising a buried tank for storing liquefied fuel gas under pressure, a heat exchange apparatus including a liquid filled receptacle buried in heat exchange relation with a warm part of the ground, said receptacle including a container and aconduit means loop for circulating liquid from and back to the container, said conduit means comprising pipes buried in the ground in heat exchange relation with the ground, a conduit extending underground throughout its length, said conduit receiving fuel from the tank and conveying it to a point of use including a low point in heat exchange contact with the liquid and the conduit means loop, and a pressure regulator disposed below ground level in the conduit between the tank and said low point.

23. In a liquefied gas system, a tank for storing liquefied gas underground, conduit means extending underground at approximately the level of the tank for the major portion of its length for conductingfuelto the point of use, said conduit means having a low portion -in towhiclji liquid present in the conduit means will gravitate, a vaporizing system in heat exchange contact with said low portion, a pressure reducing device disposed below the ground level and in the conduit means between the tank and said low portion, said vaporiz'ing system comprising a container means buried underground in heat exchange contact with the earth and a jacket surrounding said low portion, pipe connections between said container means andthe jacket for convectively cir'- culating liquid therebetween, one connection having an inlet opening `lnear the top `of the jacket,

and another'conn'ection providing an outlet opening near the bottom of the jacket.

24. In a liquefied gas system, ac'onduit means extending underground -for the major portion of its "length for conducting lfuel to a point of use, said conduit means having a low point, a vaporizing system in heat exchange contact with the low point and the conduit'lmeans'," a pressure reducing device disposed below the ground level in the conduit means between the tank and said low point, said'vaporizing system comprising a jacket means buried in heat exchange contact with the earth and including two pipe connections thereto having openings into the jacket at vertically spaced points f or tcondnoting liquid to and from said jacket, an underground tank having liquid therein, the liquid in said 'tank and the liq'uid in the jacket being disposed in heat conducting Irelationship, said liquid in the jacket being brought into heat exchange contact with said low point of the conduit.

WILLIAM C. BUTTNER.

(References on following page) REFERENCES @Hlm The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Re. 20,624 611,168

Number l0 Name Date McMahon Dec. 7, 1926 Ford Mar. 25, 1930 Folnsbee Mar. 2, 1937 Fish Nov. 30, 1937 White Jan. 1l, 1938 Little July 18, 1939 Anderson Apr. 8, 1947 

